Crossrail opening ‘might be delayed until spring 2021’

Crossrail might not open to passengers until 2021, more than two years after services were originally due to commence, it has been reported.

A senior source associated with the new railway line beneath London told the BBC the “best-case scenario” would be the new link opening in spring 2020.

A “middle probability case” would be the summer of 2020, while a “worst case is the spring of 2021”.

Known as the Elizabeth Line, the subterranean railway between Reading in Berkshire and Shenfield in Essex was originally planned to open in December 2018.

The source told the BBC that testing of trains and signalling was “proving more difficult than was first thought”.

“It all depends on how dynamic testing goes between now and the end of this year,” they said.

“The last quarter of this year will be a critical period for the testing.”

Crossrail said London needs the Elizabeth Line to be “completed as quickly as possible and brought into service for passengers”.

“We are working very hard to finalise our new plan to deliver the opening at the earliest opportunity and we will be providing more details later this month.”

The scale of the potential delays was reported after an influential group of MPs demanded the project’s failures are explained by the Government.

Video: Dynamic Testing is underway, here is a class 345 train being tested through the new tunnels under central London. Main Dynamic Testing commenced on 14 January, over the next 6 months we will be testing all the railway’s systems to ensure they are safe and reliable. pic.twitter.com/9C2qEQZGNA